Maamme

Maamme or Vårt land (Swedish

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

) (“our land”) is the title of Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

's national anthem

National anthem

A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...

. There is no law on an official national anthem in Finland, but Maamme is firmly established by convention.

The music was composed by the German immigrant Fredrik Pacius

Fredrik Pacius

Fredrik Pacius was a German composer and conductor who lived most of his life in Finland. He has been called the "Father of Finnish music"....

, with (original Swedish

Swedish language

) words by Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finnish poet, and is the national poet of Finland. He wrote in the Swedish language....

, and was performed for the first time on 13 May 1848. The original poem, written in 1846 but not printed until 1848, had 11 stanza

Stanza

In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...

s and formed the prologue to the great verse cycle The Tales of Ensign Stål

The Tales of Ensign Stål

The Tales of Ensign Stål is an epic poem written in Swedish by the Finland-Swedish author Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet of Finland...

("Fänrik Ståhls Sägner"), a masterpiece of Romantic nationalism

Romantic nationalism

Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...

. The current Finnish text is usually attributed to the 1889 translation of Ensign Stål by Paavo Cajander

Paavo Cajander

Paavo Cajander was a Finnish poet and translator.Cajander was born in Hämeenlinna. He was renowned by translation into Finnish of Shakespeare's works and of Johan Ludvig Runeberg's The Tales of Ensign Stål, whose first verse is currently the Finnish national anthem. He died in...

, but in fact originates from the 1867 translation by Julius Krohn

Julius Krohn

Julius Leopold Fredrik Krohn was a Finnish folk poetry researcher, a professor of Finnish literature, a poet, a hymn writer, a translator and a journalist. He was born in Viipuri. Krohn worked as a lecturer on Finnish language in Helsinki University from the year 1875 and as a supernumerary ...

.

The Tales of Ensign Stål were much appreciated throughout all of Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

. Up until the time of Finland's independence in 1917–18, when the song began to be recognized as specifically applying to Finland, Pacius's tune and Runeberg's text were often also sung in Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, and Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. Note that in the original Swedish text there is no reference to Finland (except for in verses 4 and 10, which are rarely sung), only to a country in the north, but the Finnish text explicitly refers to Finland. The poem's theme is, furthermore, remarkably similar to that of the national anthems of Sweden (Du gamla, Du fria

Du gamla, Du fria

"Du gamla, Du fria" is the de facto national anthem of Sweden. It was originally named "Sång till Norden" , and the first words of its lyrics have become adopted as the title in the interim....

) and Norway (Ja, vi elsker dette landet

Ja, vi elsker dette landet

is the national anthem of Norway. It is commonly referred to as just "Ja, vi elsker" . The lyrics were written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson between 1859 and 1868, and the melody was written by his cousin Rikard Nordraak in 1864. It was first performed publicly on 17 May 1864 in connection with the 50th...

).

Some Finns have proposed that the Finnish national anthem be changed to Finlandia

Finlandia Hymn

The Finlandia Hymn refers to a serene hymn-like section of the patriotic symphonic poem Finlandia, written in 1899 and 1900 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius...

by Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...

, with lyrics by V.A. Koskenniemi (Finnish) and Joel Rundt (Swedish). There are also those who simply prefer Finlandia as a musical piece, although critics call it difficult to sing.

It is said that Pacius composed the tune in a mere fifteen minutes, with no idea that it would become so important to the people of Finland that they would eventually make it their national anthem.

The tune of Maamme has similarities with the German drinking song Papst und Sultan. Many believe that Fredrik Pacius intentionally or unintentionally copied parts of the tune. Another Finnish patriotic song, Sotilaspoika, composed by Pacius, also includes similarities with Papst und Sultan.

The melody of Maamme is also used for the national anthem of Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

with a similarly themed text, Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm, My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy (1869). It is also considered to be national anthem for Livonians with text Min izāmō, min sindimō

Min izamo

Min izāmō is the national anthem of the Livonians. The song was written by Kōrli Stalte , a poet and spiritual leader of Livonians, to a melody composed by Fredrik Pacius . It is written in the Livonian language. Translated, the title of the song means "My Fatherland".-1...

, My Fatherland, my native land.

Lyrics

Here are the lyrics of the first and last verse in Finnish, in Swedish (as originally written), and in an English-language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

version:

Oi maamme, Suomi, synnyinmaa,

soi, sana kultainen!

Ei laaksoa, ei kukkulaa,

ei vettä, rantaa rakkaampaa

kuin kotimaa tää pohjoinen,

maa kallis isien.

Sun kukoistukses kuorestaan

kerrankin puhkeaa;

viel' lempemme saa nousemaan

sun toivos, riemus loistossaan,

ja kerran laulus, synnyinmaa

korkeemman kaiun saa.

Vårt land

(the original, by Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finnish poet, and is the national poet of Finland. He wrote in the Swedish language....

)

Vårt land, vårt land, vårt fosterland,

ljud högt, o dyra ord!

Ej lyfts en höjd mot himlens rand,

ej sänks en dal, ej sköljs en strand,

mer älskad än vår bygd i nord,

än våra fäders jord!

Din blomning, sluten än i knopp,

Skall mogna ur sitt tvång;

Se, ur vår kärlek skall gå opp

Ditt ljus, din glans, din fröjd, ditt hopp.

Och högre klinga skall en gång

Vår fosterländska sång.

Our Land

(translation from the Finnish version)

Oh our land, Finland, fatherland,

echo loudly, golden word!

No valley, no hill,

no water, shore more dear

than this northern homeland,

this precious land of our fathers.

One day from your bud

you will bloom;

From our love shall rise

your hope, glorious joy,

and once in song, fatherland

higher still will ring.

Our Land

(translation from the Swedish version)

Our land, our land, our Fatherland!

Ring out, dear word, oh sound!

No rising hill, or mountain grand,

No sloping dale, no northern strand,

There is, more loved, to be found,

Than this — our fathers’ ground.

Thy blossom, hidden now from sight,

Shall burst its bud ere long.

Lo! from our love, shall rise aright,

Thy sun, thy hope, thy joy, thy light,

And higher, once, more full and strong,

Shall ring Our Country’s song.

Original Lyrics

The original lyrics consisted of eleven verses but for the national anthem, the poem was shortened to the first verse and the last verse. Unless the people gathered are supposed to be either Finnish or Swedish speaking three verses are sung: the first in Finnish, the first in Swedish and the last in Finnish.

	Finnish Lyrics	Original Swedish Lyrics	English Translation of Finnish Lyrics (Source: http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22694)	English Translation of Swedish Lyrics
1.	Oi maamme, Suomi, synnyinmaa, soi, sana kultainen! Ei laaksoa, ei kukkulaa, ei vettä rantaa rakkaampaa, kuin kotimaa tää pohjoinen, maa kallis isien!	Vårt land, vårt land, vårt fosterland, Ljud högt, o dyra ord! Ej lyfts en höjd mot himlens rand, Ej sänks en dal, ej sköljs en strand, Mer älskad än vår bygd i nord, Än våra fäders jord.	O our land Finland, our land of birth, sound, the golden word! There's no a valley, no a hill not a water, a shore more precious than this northern homeland the dear land of our fathers!	Our land, our land, our Fatherland! Ring out, dear word, oh sound! No rising hill, or mountain grand, No sloping dale, no northern strand, There is, more loved, to be found, Than this — our fathers’ ground.
2.	On maamme köyhä, siksi jää, jos kultaa kaivannet Sen vieras kyllä hylkäjää, mut meille kallein maa on tää, sen salot, saaret, manteret, ne meist on kultaiset.	Vårt land är fattigt, skall så bli För den, som guld begär. En främling far oss stolt förbi: Men detta landet älska vi, För oss med moar, fjäll och skär Ett guldland dock det är.	Our land is poor, so it remains, if you long for gold A stranger sure abandons it, but to us, the most precious land is this, its wilds, islands, mainlands, to us, they are golden.	Our land is poor, and so shall be To him who gold will crave. The strangers proudly pass, but we Shall ever love this land, we see, In moor, and fell, and isle and wave, A golden land, so brave.
3.	Ovatpa meille rakkahat koskemme kuohuineen, ikuisten honkain huminat, täht'yömme, kesät kirkkahat, kaikk'kuvineen ja lauluineen mi painui sydämeen.	Vi älska våra strömmars brus Och våra bäckars språng. Den mörka skogens dystra sus, Vår stjärnenatt, vårt sommarlju. Allt, allt, vad här som syn, som sång Vårt hjärta rört en gång.	They are dear to us our rapids with their surges the hummings of eternal pines our starnights, the summers bright all that with their pictures and songs closed to heart.	We love our rippling brooks, so bright, Our gushing streams, so strong, The whisper of dark woods, at night, Our starry skies, our summer light, All, all that we, in sight and song, Have felt and lived among.
4.	Täss auroin, miekoin, miettehin isämme sotivat, kun päivä piili pilvihin tai loisti onnen paistehin, täss Suomen kansan vaikeimmat he vaivat kokivat.	Här striddes våra fäders strid Med tanke, svärd och plog. Här, här, i klar som mulen tid. Med lycka hård, med lycka blid. Det finska folkets hjärta slog. Här bars vad det fördrog.	Here with ploughs, swords, thoughts our fathers fought, when the day hid in the clouds or shone with shines of happiness here the nation of Finland, the most difficult troubles they experienced.	Here fought our fathers, without fear, With sword, and plough, and thought. And here, in clouded times, and clear, With fortune in their front or rear, Their Finnish hearts have beat, and wrought And borne what bear they ought.
5.	Tään kansan taistelut ken voi ne kertoella, ken? Kun sota laaksoissamme soi, ja halla näläntuskan toi, ken mittasi sen hurmehen ja kärsimykset sen?	Vem täljde väl de striders tal. Som detta folk bestod. Då kriget röt från dal till dal. Då frosten kom med hungers kval. Vem mätte allt dess spillda blod Och allt dess tålamod?	This nation's battles who can tell them, who? When a war sounded in our valleys, and frost brought the pain of hunger, who measured the blood and its sufferings?	Who tells, of all the fights, the tale, In which this folk withstood, When war did rage from dale to dale, When frost set in, with hunger’s wail? Who measured all their pouring blood, And all their patience good?
6.	Täss on sen veri virrannut hyväksi meidänkin, täss iloaan on nauttinut ja murheitansa huokaillut se kansa, jolle muinaisin kuormamme pantihin.	Och det var här det blodet flöt, Ja, här för oss det var, Och det var här sin fröjd det njöt, Och det var här sin suck det göt. Det folk som våra bördor bar Långt före våra dar.	Here has its blood flown for our sake, too here has it enjoyed its happiness and sighed its worries that nation, to which the most ancient burden of ours was given.	And it was here their blood was shed, For us, here, on this shore; And it was here their joys were bred, Here, that their sighs were heaved and fled, That people’s who our burdens bore Before us, long before.
7.	Tääll' olo meill on verraton ja kaikki suotuisaa, vaikk onni mikä tulkohon, maa isänmaa se meillä on. Mi maailmass on armaampaa ja mikä kalliimpaa?	Här är oss ljuvt, här är oss gott, Här är oss allt beskärt; Hur ödet kastar än vår lott. Ett land, ett fosterland vi fått, Vad finns på jorden mera värt Att hållas dyrt och kärt?	Here we have a feeling excellent and everything favourable, although be it whatever luck land fatherland is what we have. What's sweeter in the world and what's more precious?	Here it is sweet and good, we wot, All, too, is giv’n us here; However fate may cast our lot, A land, a fatherland, we’ve got. Will there a thing on earth appear More worthy, to hold dear?
8.	Ja tässä, täss' on tämä maa, sen näkee silmämme. me kättä voimme ojentaa ja vettä rantaa osoittaa ja sanoa: kas tuoss' on se, maa armas isäimme.	Och här och här är detta land. Vårt öga ser det här, Vi kunna sträcka ut vår hand Och visa glatt på sjö och strand Och säga: se det landet där. Vårt fosterland det är.	And here is this land, our eyes see it. We can reach out a hand and point at water, shore and say: see, there's our father's dearest land.	And here’s, and here’s this fatherland, Here every eye it sees; And we can stretch a pointing hand, To show, with joy, its sea and strand, And say, “Behold this country, this, Our Fatherland it is.”
9.	Jos loistoon meitä saatettais vaikk' kultapilvihin, mis itkien ei huoattais, vaan tärkein riemun sielu sais, ois tähän köyhään kotihin halumme kuitenkin.	Och fördes vi att bo i glans Bland guldmoln i det blå, Och blev vårt liv en stjärnedans. Där tår ej göts, där suck ej fanns. Till detta arma land ändå Vår längtan skulle stå.	If we were accompained to glory even to golden clouds, where we wouldn't cry but most important joy the soul would get, to this poor home our will would be.	And if we once were made to rise To gold clouds, from below, And if we moved in starry skies, Where no one weeps, where no one sighs, To this poor lonely country, though, Our longing hearts would go.
10.	Totuuden, runon kotimaa maa tuhatjärvinen miss' elämämme suojan saa, sa muistojen, sa toivon maa, ain ollos, onnees tyytyen, vapaa ja iloinen.	O land, du tusen sjöars land, Där sång och trohet byggt, Där livets hav oss gett en strand, Vår forntids land, vår framtids land. Var för din fattigdom ej skyggt. Var fritt, var glatt, var tryggt.	The homeland of truth and poet the land with a thousand lakes where our life gets protection, you the land of memories and hopes, always be, content with your luck, free and joyful.	Oh land, the thousand lakes’ own land, Of faith, and lay, and glee, Where life’s main sea gave us a strand, Our fore-time’s land, our future’s land, Shy of thy poorness, never be, Be calm, be glad, be free!
11.	Sun kukoistukses kuorestaan kerrankin puhkeaa, viel lempemme saa nousemaan sun toivos, riemus loistossaan, ja kerran, laulus synnyinmaa korkeemman kaiun saa.	Din blomning, sluten än i knopp, Skall mogna ur sitt tvång; Se, ur vår kärlek skall gå opp Ditt ljus, din glans, din fröjd, ditt hopp. Och högre klinga skall en gång Vår fosterländska sång.	Your prosperity from its hide shall break out once yet our love it shall rise your hope, joy in its brilliance, and once, your song, the land of birth shall get the highest echo.	Thy blossom, hidden now from sight, Shall burst its bud ere long. Lo! from our love, shall rise aright, Thy sun, thy hope, thy joy, thy light, And higher, once, more full and strong, Shall ring Our Country’s song.

External links

History of the Finnish national anthem
Full lyrics at Wikisource
This Is Finland: The Finnish National Anthem - history of the anthem, and RealAudio of the song
www.national-anthems.net - mp3, RealAudio and Windows Media files of the anthem
Papst und Sultan - A German drinking-song which resembles the tune of Maamme.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Lyrics

Maamme

Vårt land

Our Land

Our Land

Original Lyrics

See also

External links